Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and its motorsport unit Mitsubishi Motor Sport (MMSP) will enter a field of four cars for the 2008 Dakar Rally* which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. Next year’s event will start from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on January 5 and will arrive in the Senegal capital, Dakar, on January 20 after passing via Spain, Morocco and Mauritania. The total route length is 9,273km, including 5,736km in competitive special stages and the toughest challenge promises to be the dunes that competitors will find in Mauritania. Continue reading Four Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolutions have been entered for the 2008 Dakar Rally

Subaru may finally be making a play for all the Greenies that traded in their dilapidated Legacy wagons for a Prius with the G4e EV concept, set to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. The styling is an odd amalgamation of current Subaru design cues partnered with a Tron-meets-Pichatchu exterior.

The wedgified body and short overhangs will do wonders for interior room and flexibility, and with the installation of next-generation, lightweight lithium-ion batteries stowed underneath the floor, Subaru expects that the G4e will be able to motor along for 200 km before plugging in.

PRESS RELEASE

G4e Concept (Concept car)
The G4e Concept is a futuristic environment-friendly concept electric vehicle (EV).
Â· The traditional perception of electric vehicles’ being “heavy” and “cramped” is reversed by realizing
packaging which accommodates five passengers, with batteries stored underneath the floor.
Â· An image of heading toward the future is expressed by the triangle-shaped body.
Â· Thanks to the adoption of high-performance next-generation lithium-ion batteries and lightened body
weight, FHI expects this EV to be able to travel 200 kilometers per charge.

The wait is finally over. Subaru has released official photos and initial info on the new JDM-spec Impreza WRX STI. Details remain scant, however, as Subaru only tells us that the new STI is powered by a 16v 2.0L boxer with a twin-scroll turbo mated to a 6-speed manual. Continue reading Officially Official: Subaru Impreza WRX STI

With the new STI out of the way, we can now bring on Subaru’s 2007 Tokyo Motor Show concepts. First up is the Exiga, an AWD wagon that almost certainly previews a future production vehicle — the next Legacy, perhaps? In concept form, the Exiga sits on a 2750mm wheelbase and is powered by a 1994cc 4-cylinder turbo. Continue reading Tokyo 2007 Preview: Subaru Exiga Concept

God bless forums, you have to love them. The occasional flame war aside (who are we to talk?), they’re often the repository of choice material like this, what appears to be the first official images of the BMW M3 sedan scanned from a brochure. The main shot is large enough to appreciate how well the M3 style plays with the proportions of the 3-Series sedan, while the tiny pic gives us a profile comparison between the M3 coupe and sedan. Continue reading Official shots of BMW M3 sedan leaked

According to the USAToday, the new Avenger has had its share of engineering issues, something that the publication allowed Chrysler to respond to in depth within its review. As if being publicly humiliated by one of the largest papers in the land wasn’t enough, yesterday’s duo of recalls is being followed by yet another safety issue plaguing both the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler Sebring. Continue reading Chrysler recalling Sebring and Avenger yet again

Automatic transmissions in motorcycles are not new, with Ridley being one manufacturer currently producing them. In fact, back in the 1970s, Honda and Moto Guzzi both produced motorcycles with automatic transmissions, each with two forward gears. Honda called its system “Hondamatic” and the bikes are still in demand today because of their shiftless nature. That older machine used an automatic transmission quite similar to the one that came with the Civic, complete with a torque converter. Continue reading Tokyo 2007 Preview: Honda DN-01 motorcycle features automatic transmission

At the East Coast edition of the 2008 GM Collection, El General had one of his preproduction Pontiac G8 GT sedans on display for everyone’s inspection. The car on hand was a red GT with an automatic transmission, the revised silver Pontiac badge, black leather seating, and an automatic transmission. Unfortunately, the G8 at the event was eye candy only — no driving allowed. Still, it was unlocked, and I was able to check out the production-spec interior up close. Follow the jump for a quick rundown and first impression of how it all looked Continue reading Walkaround: 2008 Pontiac G8 GT

We’ve been waiting a long time for BMW to snap out of its haze and bring us a four-door version of the venerable M3 coupe. That time has officially come. And it turns out the leaked photo from earlier today was probably from BMW itself, as even though it wasn’t included in the official batch of images released tonight, it’s the same car you’re looking at here. Continue reading 2008 BMW M3 Sedan unveiled

Brenda Priddy and her camera-wielding spies caught the new Mazda3 undergoing testing, and although the shots themselves don’t provide much detail, per usual it’s more than meets the eye. The hacked-up front end indicates that a new fascia is on the way, likely to conform with the automaker’s penchant for swooped-back headlamps and larger fender blisters. Out back, a new dual exhaust arrangement will help to expel exhaust gases from either a 148 HP 2.0L four, or an upgraded 2.5L mill that will increase output between 20 and 30 HP over the outgoing 2.3L engine. Continue reading Spy Shots: 2009 Mazda3

Chris Doane has finally caught the 2009 Acura TSX outside of a Honda facility in the U.S. It would appear the car is about the same size as the current model, or perhaps slightly larger. From the rear it looks like those fender blisters give the car a wider track. The design will reportedly get more aggressive, which you can already see on the nose of this test vehicle despite the liberal application of tape by Honda engineers. Continue reading Spy Shots 2009 Acura TSX

Longtime BMW riders would hardly recognize the motorcycles coming from the Bavarian bike maker these days. Starting with the redesign of the R-Series models and their bump in displacement to 1200cc’s a few years ago, BMW has been making a statement that it’s going to be moving the brand up in the performance ranks. The four cylinder K1200 series has given BMW an image-bike that further cements it into the high performance race, and now the R1200S HP2 Sport will take the BMW brand back to the race track in style. Continue reading BMW HP2 Sport